Wanda and Amanda: Hard Truths
Jun. 3rd, 2013 02:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsBackdated to June 3. After yet another call from Agatha's lawyers, Amanda helps Wanda make a difficult decision.
It was, Amanda reflected, a normal day at the office. The computers were humming, information was being disseminated and Manhattan lay stretched out beneath their rather spiffy office view. And, she added as she registered the rising voice coming from Wanda's cubicle, the Boss Lady was shouting at someone again.
Time to go make the tea.
"I do not care how much time I have had," Wanda barked into the phone, knuckles almost white from the strain of her grip, "I will take as much time as I need to find her." She stopped as someone tried to interject. "Her or her remains. The law says seven years, Mr. McDermot, and yes I am very ..." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let the stream of overly lawyer words wash over her. She'd been arguing with the man and his firm for, well, forever or so it seemed but more so over the last few weeks.
"I am very aware of the legal ramification of her estate being held in limbo," she replied slowly. "As I am also incredibly aware that I am, the last I checked, executor of the will and said estate." Wanda spotted some movement outside of her cubicle and breathed a sigh of relief. A way out. "Mr. McDermot, we have already gone over our allotted time for this call. I have another visitor ..."
On cue, a steaming mug of tea appeared in front of her, held by a familiar hand. Amanda waited until Wanda had managed to hang up before giving her a wan smile. "Lawyers again?"
She tried to smile back but knew it wasn't that much of a success. "It always seems to be the bloody lawyers," Wanda responded as she tried to soak the heat from the mug into her hands. "God knows I seem to be on the phone with them more than our contacts or any of my other work commitments." There was guilt in her tone and it intermingled with the exhaustion as she leaned back in her chair.
"They still bugging you about Agatha's estate?" Amanda asked, perching on the edge of the desk. "'S only been a year or so, what's the hurry?"
God, had it been a year already? It felt both like it was just yesterday while being a million years ago, too. "The trouble is," Wanda said slowly, "while most people are not declared dead until after seven years, in certain circumstances someone can be declared dead earlier than that. Mostly if the courts can determine, even without a body, that they are dead -" She felt suddenly incredibly old. "Like a crime scene splattered in enough blood that every doctor the lawyers have spoken with have felt she would not have survived the attack."
Watching her mentor's face, Amanda felt a pang of sympathy. "And having her declared dead, even just on paper, means that maybe you're holding on out of stubbornness?" She supplied gently.
She snorted, she couldn't help it. "Of course I am. Because I am, generally, as stubborn as a mule and ..." Placing the mug on the desk, Wanda rubbed her face with both hands. "And because I owe Agatha that much. And myself and Stephen and you and anyone else I dragged through this entire mess over the last twelve or so months. I have run everyone into the ground and back again and ..." Her hands slammed onto the desk and Wanda shot to her feet. "And damn it but I have nothing to show for it!"
Amanda winced at the noise of Wanda's hands slamming the desk."You don't owe me anything, Boss Lady. I just hate watching you like this. This whole thing dragging on... it's wearing you down." She didn't voice the thought that perhaps a body would at least bring some form of closure. "I just wish we could bring an end to this, one way or another."
It was hard maintaining her anger in the face of someone being so - calm. Besides, she thought, she was too tired to keep it up and Amanda did not deserve her anger, either. "It's either find Harkness, which seems almost impossible considering how well he's gone to ground ..." They'd uncovered the occasional Chthon cultist here or there but it was like the entire group and disappeared together. "Or ..." Wanda waved a hand at the phone.
"It would mean less lawyers harrassing you?" Amanda suggested, an attempt at lame humour. "And then they can look stupid when she turns up and tears strips off them for pushing you so much."
She laughed, a little. "I wish. I ..." Wanda took a deep breath and then reached for her suit jacket. "I need some air. And, perhaps, food. I do not remember if I ate today. Are you free? I could use the company to help clear my head."
"You had an apple around ten, and it's two now, so yeah, food would be a good idea." Amanda, as always, had a far better idea of what Wanda had been doing than perhaps Wanda had herself. "I would have poked you sooner, only there was yelling at lawyers." She slid off the desk with a grin.
Wanda winced. "Is it bad that I cannot even remember that apple? Do not answer that." She scooped up her purse and gestured for Amanda to move ahead of her. "Lunch is on me. I have a feeling I have been rather - distracted of late. And that you have been picking up the slack. Personally, perhaps, more than professionally but still."
Amanda shrugged. "It's what I do, Boss
It was, Amanda reflected, a normal day at the office. The computers were humming, information was being disseminated and Manhattan lay stretched out beneath their rather spiffy office view. And, she added as she registered the rising voice coming from Wanda's cubicle, the Boss Lady was shouting at someone again.
Time to go make the tea.
"I do not care how much time I have had," Wanda barked into the phone, knuckles almost white from the strain of her grip, "I will take as much time as I need to find her." She stopped as someone tried to interject. "Her or her remains. The law says seven years, Mr. McDermot, and yes I am very ..." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let the stream of overly lawyer words wash over her. She'd been arguing with the man and his firm for, well, forever or so it seemed but more so over the last few weeks.
"I am very aware of the legal ramification of her estate being held in limbo," she replied slowly. "As I am also incredibly aware that I am, the last I checked, executor of the will and said estate." Wanda spotted some movement outside of her cubicle and breathed a sigh of relief. A way out. "Mr. McDermot, we have already gone over our allotted time for this call. I have another visitor ..."
On cue, a steaming mug of tea appeared in front of her, held by a familiar hand. Amanda waited until Wanda had managed to hang up before giving her a wan smile. "Lawyers again?"
She tried to smile back but knew it wasn't that much of a success. "It always seems to be the bloody lawyers," Wanda responded as she tried to soak the heat from the mug into her hands. "God knows I seem to be on the phone with them more than our contacts or any of my other work commitments." There was guilt in her tone and it intermingled with the exhaustion as she leaned back in her chair.
"They still bugging you about Agatha's estate?" Amanda asked, perching on the edge of the desk. "'S only been a year or so, what's the hurry?"
God, had it been a year already? It felt both like it was just yesterday while being a million years ago, too. "The trouble is," Wanda said slowly, "while most people are not declared dead until after seven years, in certain circumstances someone can be declared dead earlier than that. Mostly if the courts can determine, even without a body, that they are dead -" She felt suddenly incredibly old. "Like a crime scene splattered in enough blood that every doctor the lawyers have spoken with have felt she would not have survived the attack."
Watching her mentor's face, Amanda felt a pang of sympathy. "And having her declared dead, even just on paper, means that maybe you're holding on out of stubbornness?" She supplied gently.
She snorted, she couldn't help it. "Of course I am. Because I am, generally, as stubborn as a mule and ..." Placing the mug on the desk, Wanda rubbed her face with both hands. "And because I owe Agatha that much. And myself and Stephen and you and anyone else I dragged through this entire mess over the last twelve or so months. I have run everyone into the ground and back again and ..." Her hands slammed onto the desk and Wanda shot to her feet. "And damn it but I have nothing to show for it!"
Amanda winced at the noise of Wanda's hands slamming the desk."You don't owe me anything, Boss Lady. I just hate watching you like this. This whole thing dragging on... it's wearing you down." She didn't voice the thought that perhaps a body would at least bring some form of closure. "I just wish we could bring an end to this, one way or another."
It was hard maintaining her anger in the face of someone being so - calm. Besides, she thought, she was too tired to keep it up and Amanda did not deserve her anger, either. "It's either find Harkness, which seems almost impossible considering how well he's gone to ground ..." They'd uncovered the occasional Chthon cultist here or there but it was like the entire group and disappeared together. "Or ..." Wanda waved a hand at the phone.
"It would mean less lawyers harrassing you?" Amanda suggested, an attempt at lame humour. "And then they can look stupid when she turns up and tears strips off them for pushing you so much."
She laughed, a little. "I wish. I ..." Wanda took a deep breath and then reached for her suit jacket. "I need some air. And, perhaps, food. I do not remember if I ate today. Are you free? I could use the company to help clear my head."
"You had an apple around ten, and it's two now, so yeah, food would be a good idea." Amanda, as always, had a far better idea of what Wanda had been doing than perhaps Wanda had herself. "I would have poked you sooner, only there was yelling at lawyers." She slid off the desk with a grin.
Wanda winced. "Is it bad that I cannot even remember that apple? Do not answer that." She scooped up her purse and gestured for Amanda to move ahead of her. "Lunch is on me. I have a feeling I have been rather - distracted of late. And that you have been picking up the slack. Personally, perhaps, more than professionally but still."
Amanda shrugged. "It's what I do, Boss
